The Economy of LED light bars

Dec 2, 2011 by admin

The economy of LED light bars has led to their widespread adoption and use by police departments, emergency agencies and recovery workers. Old-fashioned emergency lights used electricity-heavy incandescent bulbs that were bulky and difficult to mount effectively except on the tops of vehicles like cars or trucks. The bulb was stationary, so the flashing light was created by the action of a rotating half-mirror that spun around the light. The light and half-mirror were inside a colored casing. This design was heavy, adding to the weight of the car. As technologies developed and plastic came along, newer designs became progressively lighter.

The introduction of light-emitting diode (LED) technology revolutionized how lights were designed. LEDs are extremely light, use very little electricity and are easy to arrange or mount. LEDs allowed for the creation of new designs such as light bars, which consisted of rows of LEDs arranged into a rectangular shape. The bars were very light and could be mounted in other places on the car without adding to its weight or making maneuvering difficult. Light bars are very effective at letting people know of the presence of a police or other emergency vehicle. When they activate, the light they produce is impossible to ignore or miss.

The durability of LEDs enables designs to be fabricated that offer no wind resistance at all. This is perfect for undercover vehicles or for cars that need to be unmarked, such as cars belonging to plainclothes detectives. LED lights last much longer than incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs. LEDs lack a filament, generating light from the interaction of solid-state chemical components. This allows them to produce light without burning out as rapidly. LEDs last for 60,000 hours, compared to incandescent bulbs that last for only 1,200 hours. This means LEDs do not have to be replaced nearly as often.

LED lights can be controlled by a computer, which can produce different flash patterns, such as strobe or static. This increases the range of options available to the driver of a car or truck mounted with these lights. LED light bars use less electricity from the car battery, so they last longer as well. The range of options combined with the increased efficiency makes LED lights indispensable for most emergency, fire and police forces. LED light bars have grown explosively in popularity since their introduction and help these workers to do their jobs better.

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